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Jimmy Garoppolo completed 10-of-17 passes for 90 yards and no scores after replacing Tom Brady at halftime of the Patriots' Week 17 matchup with the Bills.

Garoppolo made a couple wow plays on the ground, but overall struggled to move the ball against the Bills' stout pass defense. The Patriots' only points of the second half came on a short field after a long Danny Amendola punt return. Garoppolo will resume clipboard duties when the Patriots return from their first-round bye. Sun, Dec 28, 2014 03:53:00 PM

ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to play "at least some" of Sunday's Week 17 game against the Bills.

We've known all week that the Patriots aren't going to play their starters for the whole game. It's possible Tom Brady only plays a series or two. Garoppolo was solid in the preseason, completing 46-of-79 passes for 618 yards (7.8 YPA), five touchdowns, and one interception. Sun, Dec 28, 2014 12:18:00 PM

Garoppolo was detested in draftnik circles, but played exceptionally well this preseason, completing 46-of-79 passes for 618 yards (7.8 YPA), five touchdowns, and one interception. He did take something of a step back in New England's preseason finale, but ultimately was the better option over Ryan Mallett. In the Patriots' high-octane offense, Garoppolo would be worth grabbing in fantasy leagues if something happened to Tom Brady. Garoppolo deserves to be bumped up Dynasty league rankings. Sun, Aug 31, 2014 02:26:00 PM

Jimmy Garoppolo will start Thursday's preseason finale against the Giants, and play "most of the game, if not all of it."

Reporter Mike Reiss believes Garoppolo could "ascend to the No. 2 job over Ryan Mallett" with a strong performance. Garoppolo has looked better this preseason than Mallett ever has in August. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Pats are still shopping Mallett. The writing is on the wall for Mallett in New England. Thu, Aug 28, 2014 03:56:00 PM

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ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to play "at least some" of Sunday's Week 17 game against the Bills.

We've known all week that the Patriots aren't going to play their starters for the whole game. It's possible Tom Brady only plays a series or two. Garoppolo was solid in the preseason, completing 46-of-79 passes for 618 yards (7.8 YPA), five touchdowns, and one interception.

Garoppolo was detested in draftnik circles, but played exceptionally well this preseason, completing 46-of-79 passes for 618 yards (7.8 YPA), five touchdowns, and one interception. He did take something of a step back in New England's preseason finale, but ultimately was the better option over Ryan Mallett. In the Patriots' high-octane offense, Garoppolo would be worth grabbing in fantasy leagues if something happened to Tom Brady. Garoppolo deserves to be bumped up Dynasty league rankings.

Jimmy Garoppolo will start Thursday's preseason finale against the Giants, and play "most of the game, if not all of it."

Reporter Mike Reiss believes Garoppolo could "ascend to the No. 2 job over Ryan Mallett" with a strong performance. Garoppolo has looked better this preseason than Mallett ever has in August. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Pats are still shopping Mallett. The writing is on the wall for Mallett in New England.

Jimmy Garoppolo completed 9-of-12 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots' third preseason game.

Garoppolo saw more playing time than Ryan Mallett, but was the third quarterback through the rotation Friday night. Garoppolo has been more poised in the pocket than he was in college throughout the entire preseason, and continued to look calm under pressure against the Panthers. Garoppolo has completed 24-of-37 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns this preseason.

Working with the second-team offense, rookie Jimmy Garoppolo completed 6-of-12 passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns in New England's second preseason game Friday night.

Working ahead of Ryan Mallett, Garoppolo led two scoring drives and looked comfortable running the offense. He appears to be the favorite to back up Tom Brady this season. Garoppolo is 14-for-24 with three TDs and no picks this preseason.

Playing the entire second half, second-round rookie Jimmy Garoppolo completed 8-of-12 passes for 141 passes and a touchdown in the Patriots' preseason opener.

The obvious disclaimer is that Garoppolo was playing against the Redskins' second- and third-string defenses, but he looked far better than Ryan Mallett. Garoppolo's score was a beautifully-lofted, 26-yard strike to Brian Tyms with 1:23 remaining. He displayed a much better feel for the pocket than Mallett, and was more accurate at the intermediate-to-deep levels. If Garoppolo wasn't putting heat on Mallett for No. 2 duties before, he is now.

Recently deemed "disaster insurance" by owner Bob Kraft, Garoppolo won't be taking meaningful snaps any time soon. A good athlete with average arm strength, Garoppolo was highly efficient in a quick-hitting college spread offense, but often struggled when pressured. He also lacks ideal hand size (9 1/4"), and will have to rework his lower-body mechanics.

Kraft went on to say he hopes it's a "long time" before Garoppolo has to play. Tom Brady is signed through 2017, but going on 37. Even players as good as Brady can suddenly fall off a cliff at that age.

We see it as a poor bet to ever happen. Brady is signed through 2017 and Garoppolo's rookie contract will expire in 2017. Furthermore, the Eastern Illinois product brings pocket presence, arm strength and hand size questions to the table. Ryan Mallett has attempted four passes since the Patriots took him in the third round of the 2011 draft.

Garoppolo (6-foot-2 1/4, 226) made 45 starts for the D-IAA Panthers, compiling a 23-22 record and eclipsing many of fellow former EIU quarterbacks Tony Romo and Sean Payton's passing marks. Garoppolo was voted FCS Player of the Year as a senior. A good athlete with average arm strength, Garoppolo was highly efficient in a quick-hitting college spread offense, but often struggled when pressured, lacks ideal hand size (9 1/4"), and will have to rework his lower-body mechanics. If Garoppolo is supposed to eventually take over for Tom Brady, the offense could focus on quick passes unless some major development takes place.

Holtzman said the Vikings are leaning toward defense with the No. 8 overall pick, which shouldn't be a surprise under new defensive-minded head coach Mike Zimmer. The quarterback position could be addressed in Round 2 or 3 with Garoppolo, who was in Minnesota for a private workout back on April 11. Under that scenario, Garoppolo could develop for a year behind stop-gap Matt Cassel.

Brandt believes there's a "possibility" Garoppolo is selected before Bridgewater, which would send the draftnik community into a tailspin. Brandt acknowledges a team doing so, "might be (making a) mistake." Garoppolo generated a lot of buzz early in the draft process, but lacks a powerful arm and struggles when pressured. Bridgewater is noticeably comfortable when faced with chaos.

Eastern Illinois QB Jimmy Garoppolo is among the 30 players who will attend next month's draft in person.

It's a record number of prospects. The league typically only invites players viewed as first-round picks, but this year's higher number guarantees multiple players will linger into Friday. Garoppolo is perhaps the most-surprising name on the list. His pre-draft buzz has cooled considerably in recent weeks.

"You can win with him," was the scout's succinct summary. Garoppolo is considered a first-round dark horse, but will almost certainly slide to day two. SI's Peter King reported Monday that the Jaguars "really like" Garoppolo. Garoppolo has drawn kudos for his footwork and release, but struggles when chaos comes to the pocket. Standing in at 6-foot-2, 219 pounds, there are also questions about his arm strength.